orovirus isn’t the only disease surging in the U.S. this week, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported high levels of respiratory illnesses across the country.
Why It Matters
Illnesses like COVID-19, influenza and RSV have spread across the population in the past few weeks, as millions of Americans gathered for the holidays. The spread of these illnesses poses a serious threat to public health and is a significant concern following the global coronavirus pandemic that erupted in 2020.
What To Know
This past Friday, the CDC reported a “high” level of respiratory illness activity in the U.S., the second-highest level behind “very high.” This can include COVID-19, the flu, RSV (or respiratory syncytial virus) or even the common cold.
COVID-19 activity has been increasing “in most areas of the country,” with high levels of the virus found in wastewater. Emergency department visits for cases of the virus remained low but were rising. The CDC predicts that the virus will continue to spread in the coming weeks, as it has in previous winters.
The flu and RSV both showed moderate levels of wastewater viral activity, and emergency department visits for each illness were increasing, according to the CDC.
The CDC also said vaccination coverage for COVID-19 and influenza was “low” among Americans, and RSV vaccine coverage was low among adults. The CDC expects the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine will “work well” to prevent the spread of the disease this year.
New Hampshire was the state with the highest level of respiratory illness activity, according to the CDC.
Americans can prevent the spread of viruses in several ways, such as staying home when they feel sick or properly washing their hands (for 20 seconds using warm water), according to public health experts.
The spread of these respiratory illnesses comes as many other Americans have become ill with the norovirus, also known as the stomach flu, which has reached its highest levels for this time of year in more than a decade, according to CDC data.